Call it a case of hate at first sight. When Allie and Jeff Siarto began looking for a home in East Lansing, Michigan, the first house they looked at was a 1978 home that they quickly dismissed for its retro design, which included a wooden scalloped decorative feature over the kitchen sink that they just couldn’t get over. “It was not our style,” Allie says.
Photos by Allie Siarto & Co. Photography
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Who lives here: Allie Siarto, a wedding photographer; her husband, Jeff, a web designer and developer; and their daughter, Zelda, 19 months old
Size: 351 square feet (32.6 square meters); 27 by 13 feet (8.2 by 3.9 meters)
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Who lives here: Allie Siarto, a wedding photographer; her husband, Jeff, a web designer and developer; and their daughter, Zelda, 19 months old
Size: 351 square feet (32.6 square meters); 27 by 13 feet (8.2 by 3.9 meters)
BEFORE: “The scallop above the sink, seen here, was a big reason we didn’t buy it in the beginning,” Allie says.
But after the couple spent months looking at houses built in the early 1900s, this home’s open floor plan and proximity to downtown began to have some appeal. They consulted a few friends, one of which was Allie’s cousin’s architect husband, Jon Jorgensen. They realized the home had great potential, particularly in the kitchen.
They bought the home and lived in it for two years before embarking on a kitchen update helmed by Jorgensen. Their previous space mainly was horrible for socializing. “There was nowhere to sit, so we would sit on the floor when guests came over,” Allie says.
When demolition began, Jeff did the honor of forcibly removing the scalloped feature over the sink.
But after the couple spent months looking at houses built in the early 1900s, this home’s open floor plan and proximity to downtown began to have some appeal. They consulted a few friends, one of which was Allie’s cousin’s architect husband, Jon Jorgensen. They realized the home had great potential, particularly in the kitchen.
They bought the home and lived in it for two years before embarking on a kitchen update helmed by Jorgensen. Their previous space mainly was horrible for socializing. “There was nowhere to sit, so we would sit on the floor when guests came over,” Allie says.
When demolition began, Jeff did the honor of forcibly removing the scalloped feature over the sink.
AFTER: Jorgensen reoriented the kitchen to accommodate a massive 13-foot island that seats five people comfortably. He also doubled the storage from their previous kitchen.
Floor-to-ceiling cabinets were planned for the window wall. But when construction began, the Siartos discovered the soffit couldn’t be removed because it contained vital ductwork. Allie didn’t want to have cabinets hanging at different heights, so they reworked the plan to include open shelving. “It turned out better than it would have with all cabinets,” she says. “This way it’s not so heavy.”
The Siartos originally thought they’d put a desk under the window where the sink used to be, but Allie’s mom, a librarian, suggested a window seat for reading, and the idea stuck. “It ended up becoming the perfect spot and gets a lot more use than if it were a desk,” Allie says.
Floating shelves: Lack, Ikea; faucet: Parma single handle, Danze
Floor-to-ceiling cabinets were planned for the window wall. But when construction began, the Siartos discovered the soffit couldn’t be removed because it contained vital ductwork. Allie didn’t want to have cabinets hanging at different heights, so they reworked the plan to include open shelving. “It turned out better than it would have with all cabinets,” she says. “This way it’s not so heavy.”
The Siartos originally thought they’d put a desk under the window where the sink used to be, but Allie’s mom, a librarian, suggested a window seat for reading, and the idea stuck. “It ended up becoming the perfect spot and gets a lot more use than if it were a desk,” Allie says.
Floating shelves: Lack, Ikea; faucet: Parma single handle, Danze
BEFORE: A wall to the left partially blocked natural light from entering the kitchen. Meanwhile, the flooring turned out to be what Allie calls an “archeological dig.” Hardwood covered linoleum in the kitchen, and carpet covered parquet floors in the adjacent rooms. Removing all the layers dropped the floors so much that after the new floors were installed, the doors had to have fillers added to the bottom so there wasn’t such a large gap.
The Siartos donated all the old cabinetry and appliances to Habitat for Humanity.
The Siartos donated all the old cabinetry and appliances to Habitat for Humanity.
AFTER: Removing the wall to the left brought in more natural light. Argonne forest oak flooring acts as a neutral anchor for the new palette.
The Siartos chose Arctic White Corian for the island countertop because they couldn’t find a single slab of quartz or granite over 10 feet long, and they wanted a seamless look. “It actually worked out. Corian is less expensive and looks really nice,” Allie says. “We’ve had smashed blueberries and spilled wine on there, and it always looks clean.”
When the couple moved in, Allie says she got a little crazy with color and painted the dining room bamboo green, other rooms blue and so on, to the point where she was sick of seeing color. “I was overwhelmed and tired of colors,” she says. “I wanted everything to be white and clean, then I could put up colorful artwork.”
The Siartos chose Arctic White Corian for the island countertop because they couldn’t find a single slab of quartz or granite over 10 feet long, and they wanted a seamless look. “It actually worked out. Corian is less expensive and looks really nice,” Allie says. “We’ve had smashed blueberries and spilled wine on there, and it always looks clean.”
When the couple moved in, Allie says she got a little crazy with color and painted the dining room bamboo green, other rooms blue and so on, to the point where she was sick of seeing color. “I was overwhelmed and tired of colors,” she says. “I wanted everything to be white and clean, then I could put up colorful artwork.”
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